{"id":29800,"date":"2021-09-01T17:01:44","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T16:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=29800"},"modified":"2021-09-01T17:01:48","modified_gmt":"2021-09-01T16:01:48","slug":"gkn-driveline-workers-vote-for-strike-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=29800","title":{"rendered":"GKN Driveline workers vote for strike action"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Workers at GKN Driveline in Birmingham have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in the battle to prevent the closure of the factory on Chester Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The closure would mean the transfer of work overseas resulting in the loss of 519 skilled jobs and apprenticeships and opportunities for coming generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workforce demonstrated their determination to secure a long-term future for their plant with a 95 per cent vote in favour of strike on a 95 per cent turnout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tremendous result<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis is a tremendous result and shows the determination and confidence of the GKN workforce to fight for their jobs, their community and the long-term future of their plant,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Unite assistant general secretary, Steve Turner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vote also showed confidence in both their union, the alternative proposals developed to save the site and their opposition to the plans by the parent company GKN Melrose to close the plant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highly Viable<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis is a highly viable plant which could and should be playing a leading role as the UK moves to the electrification of its automotive sector,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Turner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the decisive yes vote, Unite has called together all interested parties to reach agreement on future production and support including the government, local politicians, GKN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s customers \u00e2\u20ac\u201c such as JLR, Toyota and Nissan \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the Advanced Propulsion Centre and GKN Automotive CEO Liam Butterworth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt is now incumbent that everyone concerned with the future of GKN Driveline including customers, the government, local politicians and GKN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s parent company Melrose PLC, come together to hammer out a future for the plant and the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s supply of key components,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Turner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long drawn-out dispute<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe alternative is a long drawn-out dispute that will damage both GKN and the company\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s customer base,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A failure to reach agreement could see strike action hit the plant and customers over the coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have called an urgent meeting of all parties involved and expect both GKN, its customer base, as well as the government, to respond positively to a viable alternative plan to secure the plant\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s future,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Turner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe ball is now firmly in GKN and Melrose\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s court and how they respond will dictate how this dispute will develop over the coming weeks and months,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plant makes drivelines for the UK\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s automotive industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Workers at GKN Driveline in Birmingham have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action in the battle to prevent the closure of the factory on Chester Road. The closure would mean the transfer of work overseas resulting in the loss of 519 skilled jobs and apprenticeships and opportunities for coming generations. The workforce demonstrated their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[260,230,854,550,126,88],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29800"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29801,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29800\/revisions\/29801"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}